Camp faces three challengers in re-election bid to U.S. House

SAGINAW — If Republicans regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November, Rep. Dave Camp of Midland will likely assume chairmanship of one of Congress’ most powerful panels, the House Ways and Means Committee.

But Camp, ranking Republican on the committee overseeing issues such as trade, taxes and health care policy, isn’t assuming anything before his Nov. 2 re-election bid. He faces three challengers for the seat he’s held since 1991.

U.S. Rep. Dave Camp

“We do have an election to run and I’m not taking anything for granted and I’m not assuming any results for November,” the 10-term congressman said.

Camp represents the sprawling 4th Congressional District, whichspans most of Saginaw County, Roscommon, Isabella and Clare counties, and extends to Leelanau County in northwest Lower Michigan.

He faces Democrat Jerry M. Campbell of Richfield Township in Roscommon County, Carrollton Township Libertarian Clint Foster and Mount Pleasant Taxpayers Party member John D. Emerick. The News was unable to reach Emerick for comment.

Camp’s priorities

Camp said “repealing and replacing” health care reform, instituting tax reform, extending Bush-era tax cuts and economic expansion are some of his priorities if elected to a new term.

“My goal is how can we create jobs and get the economy moving and have a strong, pro-growth agenda,” he said, adding that the nation must rein in out-of-control federal spending.

“I think the country is at a crossroads and I think it is very important that we get this massive run up in spending under control,” said Camp, a member of a presidential debt reduction panel.

Camp noted free-trade backer President Barack Obama has made a goal of doubling U.S. exports within five years. Free trade pacts give U.S. businesses a framework to compete around the globe, he said.

He noted he recently voted for a currency manipulation bill targeted at China.

“I think that’s only part of our problem with China,” he said, but the legislation sends “a strong signal” to a country that has the largest trade deficit with the United States and has been accused of intellectual property theft.

Camp said he supported a solar energy tax credit and wants to reinstitute a research and development tax credit that has benefited auto and alternative energy companies in the district. The congressman renewed a call he has made for several years with U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, to create a federal trade prosecutor post to enforce trade agreements with other nations.

He said the Bush-era tax cuts, due to expire at the end of the year, should be extended. A Democratic proposal to leave out the top 2 percent of wage earners would hurt small business owners who create jobs, he said.

“Taxes should not be raised in a recession and the effect of those taxes will fall about half on small business income,” the congressman said.

He's also called for the ecological separation of the Chicago River from Lake Michigan to prevent the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes.

Campbell’s priorities

For his part, Democrat Campbell says jobs, banking reform, avoiding privatization of Social Security and more money for education are priorities for him if voters send him to Washington.

Ashley Conti | The Saginaw NewsJerry M. Campbell

Campbell, 52, who resigned as Richfield Township supervisor last month and has declined to elaborate for family-related reasons, said Camp’s continued votes for free trade pacts helped export American jobs and decimated Michigan’s tax base.

Free trade “allows big business to exploit ridiculously cheap labor in other countries,” said Campbell, who paid his way through college working at an auto plant in Flint. “It’s cost jobs, but it’s cost the best-paying jobs. We’ve sent all the $20 and $30 an hour jobs away so that brings a lot of hardship on everybody.”

The unemployed and workers who earn less have less income to spend which hurts small businesses and government revenues, he said.

“The solution is absolutely to renegotiate and in some cases repeal these trade agreements so they’re not so lopsided,” he said. The United States has the largest consumer economy in the world and has the economic leverage to demand changes, he added.

Campbell said he advocates tax reform, but added the tax cuts should expire for anyone making more than $250,000 a year. A vote isn’t expected until after the election.

Campbell said he backs Democratic health reform, but feels there are major problems with it. Still, he hasn’t supported GOP proposals.

“It’s my fear that what they want to do is just go back to the old system and the old system was rife for drug companies and health insurers to abuse citizens,” he said.

Foster’s priorities

Foster, 47, ranked drastic tax reduction, pulling U.S. troops home and ending the war on drugs as most important.

Clint Foster

He advocates “drastically” cutting taxes and the size of government — at least by half. Much of government spending is unnecessary, he said.

“They have stepped so far out of those constitutional restrictions that the founding fathers wouldn’t recognize the programs that the federal government is involved with,” the Libertarian said.

The home remodeling sales representative said government overregulates business on issues from employee licensing to minimum wage standards and creates unemployment.

“Minimum wage laws get in the way of hiring,” he said. “If I want to go to work at $5 an hour there should not be a law that prevents me from doing that.”

The federal government should not extend unemployment benefits and gradually reduce and eliminate them, he said. Continued compensation discourages people from finding jobs, he said.

“We know how long these people are going to be unemployed for and that’s when the benefits run out,” he said.

Foster is a free-trade proponent.

“The people that are buying products are punished monetarily when free trade doesn’t exist,” he said. “It hurts our exports because other countries are punishing us for not having free trade.”

Foster rejects government involvement in health care and said the nation can’t afford to pay long-term benefits.

“Obviously, the American people weren’t happy with that and it was sort of pushed on them against their will,” he said of reform measures. “I think it’s becoming more and more obvious that the government can’t seem to do anything right and now they want to take over a large portion of the economy with their socialist health care plan and I think people realize that’s a mistake.”